Terminal connecter



May 5, 1925. 1,536,281

H. w. BATCHELLER v v TERMINAL CONNECTER Filed Feb. 19'. 1924 Patented Ma 5, 1.925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH W. BATCHELLER, OE WORCESTER. MASSACEHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WINOOSKI- ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC., 01?. BURLINGTON, VERMONT, A COR PORATION OF VERMONT.

TERMINAL oommorm.

Application file-d February 19, 1924. Serial 693,888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH W. BATOHEL- .LER, a citizen of the Dominionof Canada,

residing at Worcester, in the county of I Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Terminal Connecters, ofwhich the follow-.

ing is a specification,

This invention relates to terminal connecters such as thoseemployed in electric lighting circuits in automobiles, a connecter, to which the invention relates including an insulating body, adapted to be inserted in a socket to close an electric circuit, and a t forked conductor engaged with the body and Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from.

which the forked conductor may be made.

Figures 2 and 3 are side views of a forked conductor made from the blank shown by Fi re 1.

igure 4 is an end view of-a terminal connecter including two of the forked conductors shown by Figures 1 and 2, and an insulating body.

Figure 5 is a sideview of the connecter shown by in section on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an endview of the connector shown by Figures 4 and. 5, a portion being shown in section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are views illustrating another form of terminal connecter, Fi re 7 being a sideview of the forked con uctor, and igure 8 a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7, showing also the body of'the connecter.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Figure 4,. a portion being shown into the narrower Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a connector which includes a body 12 of insulating material, such as hard rubber having two parallel bores 13, each adapted to receive one of the fixed conductors'hereinafter described.

The body is a one-piece cylinder, externally threaded at one end and is screwed into an internally threaded sleeve 14:, also of insulating material. The opposite end of the body constitutes a stop face adapted to cooperate with a stop shoulder with which the saidfixed conductor is provided, in limitingthe entrance of the conductor into a bore 13.

Each of the two fixed conductors may be "formed from ablankvshown by Figure 1.

Said blank vis composed ofa strip ofbrass, or other conducting material, and provided with two longitudinal slots, each havinga relatively wide inner portion 15, and a narrower outer portion 16. The intermediate portion of the blank is formed by suitable dies into a circular contact portion or head 17, of greater diameter than a bore 13, and

margin of the central portion 17 constituting the stop shoulder above mentioned. The end portions of the, blank are formed into two flexible arms 18, projecting from the contact portion and located side byside, the arms being formed to enter a bore 13.

The swiderfslot portions 15 are opposite each other in the completed forked conductor, as shown by Figure 3, and are adapted to receive a terminal portion of a flexible conductor 20, which may be freely inserted in said slot portions before it is bent, as in dicated by Figures 2 and 3. The edges of the narrower sl'ot portions 16 are grippin' edges, so spaced apart that they are adapte to grasp the conductor 20, when the latter is moved into said narrower dicated by Figures 5 and 6.

After the flexible conductor 20 is inserted, as shown by Figures 2 and 3, it is-moved bent to form a hoo as .shown by Fi re 5. The forked conductor and the flexib e conductor are then inserted in a bore 13, until ortions as in- P a g 95 portions of the slots and I adapted to bear on the stop face at one end ofthe body 12, as shown by Figure 5, the

the contact portion '17 is seated on the body 12. The two conductors are thus firmly connected with each other and with the body, so that the flexible conductor 20 cannot slip endwise, the diameter of the bore 13 being such that the bore confines the bent portion in hook form and prevents it from opening or spreading. I prefer to arrange the narrower slot portions 16 in staggered relation to each other, so that the flexible con- 'ductor 20 passes obliquely from one arm 18 to the other, as shown by Figure 6, this arrangement contributing to the security of the connection.

As shown by Figures 7 and 8, the fixed conductor may be composed of a neck 24, constituting the contact portion and connecting two arms 25, each provided with a slot having the portions 15 and 16. The shoulder of the fixed conductor is in this instance, a head 23, of insulating material, in which the arms are inserted and fixed so that the head constitutes a shoulder which bears on the stop face formed by one end of the body, the latter being designated by 22 in these figures. The body 22 and head 23 may be connected by a metal casing or shell, composed of a body portion,26, havin a flange bearin on the head, and a sleeve 2? screwed upon the body, and having a flange bearing on one end of the body, as shown by Figure 8.

The connecter shown by Figures 7 and 8 is a single connecter, having but one exposed contact portion.

It will be seen that the operation of assembling the described parts is very simple and easily performed, and leaves no doubt or uncertainty as to the correct procedure in the mind of the operator, it being obvious that the flexible conductor 20 must be first inserted in the wider slot portions 15, and

tilen moved into the narrower slot portions I claim:

1. A terminal connecter comprising an insulating body having a bore, and a stop face at one end of the bore, and a fixed conductor having a stop shoulder, adapted to bear on said stop face, said conductor including an exposed contact portion, and flexible arms projecting from the contact portion and formed to enter the bore, said arms being arranged side by side'and provided with longitudinally extending slots, having relatively wide inner end portions, adapted to receive a terminal portion of a flexible conductor, and narrower outer end portions, the edges whereof form gripping jaws adapted to grasp said terminal portion, when the latter is moved lengthwise of the slots 2. A terminal connecter comprising an insulating body having a bore, and a stop face' at one end of the bore, and a fixed conductor having a stop shoulder, adapted to bear on said stop face, said. conductor including an exposed contact portion, and flexible arms projecting from the contact portion and formed to enter the bore, said arms being arranged side-Z -by side and provided with longitudinally extending slots, having relatively wide inner end portions, adapted to receive a terminal portion of a flexible conductor, and narrower outer end portions, the edges whereof form gripping jaws adapted to grasp said terminal portion, when the latter is moved lengthwise of the slots, said narrower end portions being in staggered relation to each other for the purpose stated,

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

HUGH w. BATOHELLER 

